Thanks everyone! I've been to Pizza Express since this post and they were super helpful and I didn't get any weird looks which is always a bonus. I went to Wagamama last night and it was good too, the ice lollies they do there are amazing.

I went to Las Iguanas in Newcastle (mentioned up-thread) tonight, and it was excellent. The food was delicious, and the waitress was really good about checking with the kitchen about things being vegan (they didn't list sides in the email, so I had to clarify a few things). I was with my bff, who had been there before, and she had a similar experience last time, so I can safely recommend them.

_________________A pie eating contest is a battle with no losers. - amandabear

You can sign up to be a Las Iguanas 'Amigo' if you email them, which is where they call you in as a mystery diner on set dates and you have a £50 budget. Maximum two cocktails per person. I'm going on Saturday and its gonna be good!

We were in Pizza Express today, and I mentioned that I'd love to try the polenta chips but they weren't even vegetarian. The waitress suggested that they leave off the cheese and give us a different dip (the dip it comes with his honey mustard) and they should be suitable. So we got some, and they're really good!

_________________A pie eating contest is a battle with no losers. - amandabear

I normally avoid chains like the plague. I've never had an awesome experience in one. Everything just taste a bit...blah, or something. I love Wagamama's though - good food, clear menu and great staff. I'm all about the amai udon (minus the fish and egg) with chilli oil. Oh, and the veg gyoza. My big complaint with them is that it's nearly €7 for a bowl of edamame with sea salt!

I normally avoid chains like the plague. I've never had an awesome experience in one. Everything just taste a bit...blah, or something. I love Wagamama's though - good food, clear menu and great staff. I'm all about the amai udon (minus the fish and egg) with chilli oil. Oh, and the veg gyoza. My big complaint with them is that it's nearly €7 for a bowl of edamame with sea salt!

Wagamama was definitely more expensive in Ireland than here?

Have you been to Milano, the Irish version of Pizza Express? I really enjoyed the meal I had at one in Dublin.

Have you been to Milano, the Irish version of Pizza Express? I really enjoyed the meal I had at one in Dublin.

Yeah, it's more expensive alright. Up to a fiver in the difference on a noodle dish. They've also chopped a whole bunch of dishes off the most recent menu here - no more amai udon for me *cries* In general stores/restaurants that have branches here and in the UK - the prices don't translate. There are a few clothing places that started cutting off the bottom of the price tags as they were charging 50% more than the sterling price :(

Haven't been to Milano yet. The one branch I get near is a couple of streets away from two of the best Italian places in Dublin, so I tend to head that way. Might give them a look though.

Las Iguanas have always been really good with me and have a vegan menu on line and I'm pretty sure it's in the restaurant too. I love their mushroom fajitas. I had to go to TGI Friday's (it was a work do) the other day and nothing was vegan as standard, but I popped in because it was on the way home from work on the night before I was due to go in and asked if they could make the vegetable fajitas vegan (they cook them in a garlic butter normally) and they did it and they were pretty tasty, not the best fajitas, but they weren't awful either.

Pizza Express is always good too, the bases are vegan and I just get the giardiniera and ask for no cheese/ pesto and then drizzle chilli oil over it, which is yummy. I also love Tampopo and they list everything that is vegan on the menu.

I always tell the waiter when they arrive at the table that I follow a vegan diet and without failthey have gone through the veg items on the menu I like and by doubling up some items or swappingsome other have provided me with a splendid meal.

If there

_________________"happiness is difficult to find within, impossible to find elsewhere""A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have"

I always tell the waiter when they arrive at the table that I follow a vegan diet and without failthey have gone through the veg items on the menu I like and by doubling up some items or swappingsome other have provided me with a splendid meal.

If there

That's interesting - we have a Bills in Bath now and when I looked at the menu, it seemed like there was nothing that could be veganised.

I'm also surprised about GBK - I thought all their veggie burgers contained egg.

I also am really impressed with Las Iguanas and the helpfulness of their staff - if you look on the website they have a veggie and vegan menu.

I had a really positive experience in Bella Italia as well - when I asked for cheese to be removed they were very keen to replace it with something and I had a very nice Mediterranean veg pasta dish.

Wagamama's Yasai Pad Thai is vegan if you ask for it without the egg and is really very good. They have a few other things that don't need adapting too, the details are on their website.

That's interesting - we have a Bills in Bath now and when I looked at the menu, it seemed like there was nothing that could be veganised.

My former partner didn't rate Bill's in Bath very highly, but he was used to the first Bill's down in Lewes, where Bill could be seen shouting at the staff and arranging things beautifully. I think he called it a shallow mockery... but he's very biased. I haven't been in years... a few Lewes people resent Bill's as a symbol of "it's not like the old ways..." and I'm one of them, to a slight extent.

I remember it when it was just a greengrocers, and then a fancy greengrocers with tables, and then it gradually became the boho behemoth it is today. Interestingly, for those who are interested in such things, Bill sold the franchise for an absolute fortune and can now be seen pacing round Lewes like a man with too much time on his hands.

_________________Moon - "This is the best recipe in the history of recipes forever."

That's interesting - we have a Bills in Bath now and when I looked at the menu, it seemed like there was nothing that could be veganised.

My former partner didn't rate Bill's in Bath very highly, but he was used to the first Bill's down in Lewes, where Bill could be seen shouting at the staff and arranging things beautifully. I think he called it a shallow mockery... but he's very biased. I haven't been in years... a few Lewes people resent Bill's as a symbol of "it's not like the old ways..." and I'm one of them, to a slight extent.

I remember it when it was just a greengrocers, and then a fancy greengrocers with tables, and then it gradually became the boho behemoth it is today. Interestingly, for those who are interested in such things, Bill sold the franchise for an absolute fortune and can now be seen pacing round Lewes like a man with too much time on his hands.

I can't remember if I've said this already elsewhere, but Toby Carvery now have 2 vegan mains (marked vegan as well) on their menu. There seems to be conflicting info about whether their veggie gravy is vegan and if the veggies on the carvery have butter on, so you'd have to check with the server on the day I guess.